FAQs
The Asian American Center is one of the newer divisions of Northeastern University. Part of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, the AAC is first and foremost, dedicated to expanding and improving the student experience here on campus. Our overall agenda is to increase the visibility of the Asian American community, and to spearhead efforts to create additional awareness of Asian American experiences and concerns, both here and beyond the university. In addition to student-centered programs, the Center plays a vital role in initiatives at Northeastern concerning institutional development and diversity, community outreach, academic and research interests, and alumni relations.
No. To be sure, the Center has a strong focus on providing resources and services for Asian American students at Northeastern, however, our mission is to serve all members of the Northeastern community, including faculty, staff, and alumni.
Yes! The Asian Studies Program is an interdepartmental program that focuses on the histories, cultures, and politics of the dynamic nation-states of East, Southeast and South Asia, while also exploring their transnational interactions and their global diasporas, especially to the United States. In so doing, it encourages students to look carefully and critically at the complex ways that people in Asian countries have been involved with one another and with the rest of the world in both the past and the present.
Yes. The AAC Intern position is available every semester. We have limited resources and mostly rely on committed undergrad students who have Federal Work Study award to assist us with the successful implementation of our programs.
Each year, we will evaluate the level of resources and funding available for hiring additional help, and explore the types of paid help we will require. The nature of the assistance we will require may change from year to year. If you have more questions, please feel free to contact us via email about current opportunities that may exist at the Center.
Yes! In fact, we rely on the willingness of students, faculty, staff, and alumni to be pro-active in their contact with the Center. The success of the Center comes from a sense of ownership by members of the community, and when personal investments are made in the progress of the AAC. Every year, we form planning committees, and we welcome involvement by people who feel they can offer assistance in any manner of logistical or operational tasks. The Center requires additional staffing assistance with public relations and graphic design, staffing specific events, planning activities for various conferences and events, and leadership of student groups and events.
The Pan Asian American Council (PAAC) serves as a critical component of student outreach and communication at Northeastern. The Council is responsible for bringing forth pertinent issues, concerns, and ideas that should be addressed by the Asian American Center.
The primary obligation of the Center is to serve the student population at Northeastern and to improve, enhance, and broaden the on-campus experience. That being said, the Center has obvious interests in a wide range of University activities and programs, not only because of obvious overlaps with student activities, but also because of the Center’s additional goals of serving the Boston community, and creating more visibility for the Asian American community at Northeastern. The Center is not a research center at Northeastern, nor does it have any formal academic responsibilities or functions. The Center’s long-term strategic plan does include proposals for the development of, among other activities, an Asian American Studies academic program, and an additional responsibilities for the Center as it relates to promoting scholarship at Northeastern.
Other than the Center, there are several offices and organizations at the University that are charged with promoting and addressing diversity issues on campus. Offices that can be helpful are the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, the President’s Asian American Advisory Board, and the Curry Student Center. There are also several student groups that exist on campus for those interested in Asian American issues. Please see our student groups page for more contact information.
Yes, many! We are actively seeking different opportunities to work with other divisions of Northeastern, other schools and colleges in the area, and community organizations throughout Boston.
Northeastern University is committed to developing more community partnerships and exploring more methods of serving the surrounding neighborhoods. We look forward to hearing proposals and ideas that others might have about how the Asian American Center can become involved in their initiatives or programs. If you feel that there are common areas of interest between you, your group and the Center, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to meet with you and discuss our current agenda and explore the details of any future collaboration.